Oakland Raiders: 5 running backs to target in 2018 free agency

Though the Oakland Raiders could stand pat at running back this offseason. here are five free agents they could consider if they want to shake it up a bit.

Now that the Oakland Raiders have put together their coaching staff for 2018 under new head coach Jon Gruden, it will be interesting to see what sort of moves general manager Reggie McKenzie will make to better equip this roster for Gruden’s liking. One position group that could get overhauled would be the running back group.

Though veteran tailback Marshawn Lynch rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in his first year with the Raiders, his on-field antics didn’t translate to winning and it took him a while to get going in Todd Downing’s offense. His backups in Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington barely moved the needle with their on-field production in 2017.

Of course, a lot of this could be due to underwhelming coaching. Perhaps Gruden and his staff bring back the whole running back gang and get the most out of them in 2018? However, we do have to believe that the Raiders will address the backfield in some capacity this offseason. It may be a better play to use a second to fourth-round pick on a collegiate tailback in the draft.

That being said, who is to say that rookie will do much of anything in his first year in the league. Should the Raiders want to shake things up in the running back room for 2018, here are five guys the Silver and Black may want to target in 2018 NFL free agency. It should be noted that some of these free agent running backs are pricier than others.

If the Raiders want to go on the cheap, one free agent running back target that could work for them is Alfred Morris. Morris is a two-time Pro Bowl running back with the Washington Redskins in 2013 and 2014. He has spent the last two years as Ezekiel Elliott‘s backup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Though past his prime, Morris should still have something left in the tank as he is about to enter year seven in the league. Morris is 5-foot-9, 215 pounds and has 5,503 career rushing yards to his name. He has found pay dirt 32 times in his NFL career, but only three times in the last two years with Dallas.

Knowing that Dallas is Elliott’s team, it would make sense for Morris to leave if he wants more playing time. He did have to replace Elliott during his six-game suspension in 2017. Morris rushed for 547 yards on 115 carries for the 2017 Cowboys. One other reason he could land with the Silver and Black is that he comes from the same organization as special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia.

Though Bisaccia coaches special teams, he did coach running backs briefly for Gruden while on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff. He might be able to give Gruden an inside look on if Morris has much left in the tank. Keep in mind that Gruden’s younger brother Jay Gruden use to coach and compete against him as the Washington Redskins head coach. This has the potential to be a good bang for the buck signing should the Raiders go in this direction with Morris.